grahame

A super scene, and urban to boot.

Is there more to see?

Nice to see some N gauge electrics - locos and multiple units.

Yep, another vote for the plate girder bridge. It certainly gives more space for the track to breathe and be further detailed (point rodding, etc) as well as proving better views of the trains passing under.

G

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I purchased a couple from Bob's (of this parish) N-Train ebay shop. I noticed that he had them on sale at TINGS (leamers). They're made by Cars Workshop.

G.

Yep, that works well. Well done.

G.

I would be interested in seeing how you get on with the end recesses as I have been pondering that for a while now for my rake.

I'm hoping to include something on the Gatwick Express in the next issue of N'spirations; N'spirations3 which I'm hoping to get to the printers shortly after I return from Aus, but it'll depend on progress of the project.

G.

Have you tried BR Lines for the coach roof?

Great idea - I'd not thought of them. But I've now looked through their Farish spares listing and unfortunately they don't have a mk1 coach roof on it.

G.

Cheers for the comments. Now I'm back from the lunchtime pub session I'll try and quickly answer the queries;

I'm not aware that the Shawplan etches are new - just what they had available for a N/2mm class 50; cab windscreen frames, headcode box fronts, buffer beam steps, and windscreen wipers.

The panelled example is a Gresley full brake which is available as a kit from the NGS.

The GUVs are both Farish - they look out of sorts due to me rushing to set up the photo (before going to the pub) and not having them siting exactly flat and in line - they're not on track. And, yep, I've got a couple of mk1 BGs, upgraded similarly to the GUVs with Ultima underframes, etc., but they're in blue/grey livery.

I couldn't find any suitable transfers but there's not much required and they're very small. I thought I might get away with a bit of white paint/ink carefully hand scribbed on.

G.

Great pictures, excellent modelling, superb layout. And I echo the comment 'shame this won't be at the expo'.

G.

I've just noticed this relatively recent post on an old thread. I ordered them from a supplier as 'buy now' options on ebay - but can't remember the name of the company, but try searching for "1/150 bus" on ebay.

G.

Looks the part. Top class modelling. Well done.

G.

Those Lima pattern Siphon Gs ran on a number of types of GWR bogies, including the 9' plate type you've fitted. Most were on the later 'Pressed Steel' pattern 9' bogies as fitted to the Dapol 1938 Colletts, but I was pleasantly surprised to find one (on a link from RMWeb last year) with 7' plate bogies (as per Dapol 'B' sets) still running in 1976!

The nearest to that type (horizontal upper vents and vertical boarding for lower body side) is here; http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/p10370431.html

Not quite sure what size of bogies are fitted though.

G.

They look good! Is that green logo on rear and side of the cab in the box?

Yep, there's a lot of transfers but most are in Japanese. Also there's an odd collection of things on the plastic moulded sprues - road work signs, dustbins, road cones, etc.

G.

Superb finish on this Graham! I can't believe it's N-gauge!

 

Did you say the white / red stripes were a transfer? I wonder if it's a little over scale as the white band seems a touch too high compared to the prototype? The top of the white band is roughly inline with the bottom of the headcode panel. I think you could disguise it with a lining pen loaded with NSE blue ran along the top edge of the white stripe to just reduce it a little.

The bottom section white/red/white/grey are a Fox transfer.

The top of the white (against the blue) lines up with the centre/top of the marker lights and is probaby about half a mil too high. I wanted to get it lower but was very concerned that would push the lower grey stripe off the scale and leave it almost non existant at the bottom of the skirt. I also think the red band is too thin. To add a line of paint/ink over the white to lower it would not only be beyond my capabilities but would probably leave an obvious odd stripe - I think I'll give it a miss, but acknowledge your comments. Perhaps next time I'll trim the transfer before adding it.

G.

Looking good - don't forget you'll need double red rectangles showing at the back end rather than white route numbers.

G.

I too will be following progress on this with great interest.

I certainly don't feel confident enough to tackle pointwork (especially slips and scissors crossovers!) with so little experience, but I will be having a look at the plain track with a view to following Etched Pixels example on using it in conjunction with the Peco Code 55 points. His filing of the point rail ends to lead into the wider gauge of the plain track looks do-able as a trial with my skill level. I have a couple of spare small radius points available to sacrifice for a test piece.

You don't need to file the rail ends to match up the Easitrack 9.42 gauge with Peco points 9mm gauge. You can make the transisition at the end of the length of Easitrack so that the rails match up gauge wise - although they will still be different heights; code 40 to psuedo code 55. I'll add a photo to this thread showing a multi-gauge bit of Easitrack.

The 9mm gauge is on the left for the first two sleepers and the 9.42 gauge is for the last two sleepers on the right. The middle two sleepers are the transisition sleepers and have no inner chairs (cosmetic ones could easily be glued in place). Bearing in mind how blown up and times greater than real life the pic is, once ballasted, painted and weathered it should be more than acceptable with no obvious joggle or joint between the two gauges showing.

G.

Looking good Grahame! Can I ask what you use for masking when painting a scheme like this?

I used Humbrol Maskol painted on the yellow before air-brushing the blue. And I used Phoenix Precision PQ11 low tack masking tape for the grey roof. However, the white with red and grey stripes are a Fox transfer put on over the blue.

HTH.

G.

So, next question (you knew there would be!) where do I get the 'special n crossing jig" and flangeway thingummies?

The point bases and vee filing jig (one on the left in pic) are available from the 2mmSA shop - you need to be a member to purchase from it. The special N gauge flange-way crossing assembly jig (middle aluminium one in pic) was specially produced. Contact Noel Lever on the Yahoo group as he is collating interest for the next batch;

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ngauge/message/117741

G.

Hello again Grahame- we have conversed on this most interesting topic before.....May I ask- am I right in thinking that you are going to use Easitrack track bases for plain track- at 2mm finescale gauging?

And are the pre-milled point bases going to be used at their correct (finescale) gauge- but just with different flangeway clearances?

Yes, the plain track is 2mmFS Easitrack built as it's supplied; to 2mmFS 9.42mm gauge - it's simply a matter of sliding the rail in to the pre-moulded chairs on the sleepers base sections (no soldering or gluing required).

The points are made using 2mmFS components (pre-milled track base, rail and chairs) but built to 'N' 9mm gauge and N gauge NMRA flange-way clearances (which are a lot finer than Peco points but a little larger than 2mmFS) using a special N crossing jig rather than the 2mm one. Obviously to join the plain track (at 9.42mm) to the points (at 9mm) the rail needs to be slightly flared/tapered. It's hardly noticable because you're only talking about a deflection of less than a quarter of a millimeter for each rail. In fact if you look at the photo you'll notice a small piece of Easitrack plain track base butting up the point at the left end with the rails slightly diverging between it and the point.

G.

I see you also got the brasso on the underframe as I did :icon_mutter: ...I guess its some black paint to the rescue for that one :icon_razz:

You could pop the underframe off the body before attacking it with brasso. They're easy enough to get off by sliding a steel edge between and twisting near the plastic 'rivets'. It also makes it easy to upgrade the underframe/sole bar section with an etched Ultima kit.

G.

Also dont forget the "Nose" has a rounded top to it slightly, something which Even Hornby has failed to get right!

I'm not sure what you mean by a rounded top to the nose. Yep, it certainly doesn't form sharp right angles with the upright front panel. And from what I've determined by close observation the nose ledge top slopes downwards from the centre towards each side at the same angle as the windows droop. I've replicated that on the sheets I added, which where cut to a centre point before gluing on and the entire panel is also slightly formed as a subtle curve around the front. Probably not very obvious in N gauge.

G.

Excellent development - literally!

G.

An impressive looking rake.

G.

Excellent all round work. And N gauge to boot.

G.